Fresh Start

Well, another Saturday. This past week has been a hectic one. With the birth of Julian and our Friday court date, we had no down time.

#1 and #2 helped a lot this week helping to get things ready for guests and the dreaded home study by the State.

Jacqui & Julian - Mom and son are at home now and doing well. Tuesday he has his first appointment and they will drop by the house.

Jessi and Keith are back home now. We will be venturing down there for her graduation ceremony June 10-11. She has grown up so much and we are proud of here.

Lady's parents arrived today to celebrate the wife's birthday this weekend. Perhaps they came to help her get over the top of the hill .. sort of a "helping push."

The court date went very well. We got there at 1:30 and didn't see the judge until 3:30ish. It was odd in that everything we had been told by the Attorney (temporary custody) and the State (did not want another change in custody) cornering their recommendations didn't happen that way. They all were very supportive and painted the best picture possible. The judge smiled a lot and kept making a reference to "I foresee a closure to all this." No one contested the change of custody and in the end we were granted full custody of Victoria. So the mind boggling adventure of raising a 16 year old female begins.

In reality, we have no reservations about this move. We hope to provide the love, stability and home she has not had for a very long time. We know there will be bumps but also there will be super times and they will far outweigh the bumps. Several times we heard the statement "You seem so calm and in control and nothing seems to phase you". Well, someone needs to be and besides, this custody stuff isn't new to us and the peace comes from inside, a product of many years of trying to be a Christian.

When I read the court papers that said "she has no relative or responsible adults willing to take her in" just grated on me. No child or young adult should ever have to read that they are not wanted. Perhaps that is the problem today, people are so consumed with their self-gratification that there is nothing left to help a child. I think back to what Christ said about a young child and wonder if they are prepared to accept the consequences when they are quizzed on their actions?

Our day ended with an ice cream cake and balloons that said, “WELCOME HOME.”